New Home
by LoreilDarksky00
Summary: When Cian gets adopted by Cloud and Tifa Strife shes not sure what she wants. But as she lives there with them and meets friends and teachers, her past spills out of a box she'd locked away, can she protect them with magic she tries so deperately to hide?
1. Chapter 1

Woot! Another story before I finished all the others! Lovely... now I have even more to write... oh well!

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy characters/locations/phrases do not belong to me!

* * *

><p>New Home Chapter 1: Adjusting<p>

* * *

><p>I stared at the wall of my new 'home'. I didn't know why the Strife's bothered. <em>Why would they adopt <em>me_, out of all the others at the orphanage?_ I was nothing special.

I was ushered into a bedroom by Mrs. Strife… or Tifa, as she insisted on being called.

"Here's your room, Cian. Tomorrow we can go shopping to add a bit of "you" in it, if you want to." She smiled kindly at me. "I'll leave you to get settled. Try to be downstairs by seven, that's when Denzel will be home. He's been waiting to meet you."

She smoothed my hair and left the room. I sat on the bed, letting my pack drop to the floor.

I wanted to just curl up and cry, but I knew better. I'd have to get to know the Strife's a bit better before I could really show weakness, even to myself. I was sixteen. I didn't let myself cry anymore.

I got up and started pacing; it always helped me to organize my thoughts and feelings.

The Strife's had been kind so far, but most were when they'd adopted someone. I felt a little better knowing that Denzel had also been adopted, too; he might understand me a little.

I had mixed feelings about being adopted. I wanted it, of course, but I also didn't like intruding on other's lives.

I wanted to find a family to belong to. Everyone does.

But every time I was adopted or sent to a foster home, I was scared, nervous, and untrusting. I think that's why I was always sent back to the orphanage.

It's not that I didn't _want_ it to work out, it just always felt wrong.

Before… _it_ happened, Vailia had said that I was too quiet and shy to really feel like I belonged. She told me I had to step up and show people who I was and be proud of it.

She said that if anything ever happened, I would know when I belonged somewhere. I took her at her word; she'd never been wrong before.

And, before the Strife's, nowhere felt right.

My conclusion ended up being that I'd try.

I glanced at the alarm clock on the dresser beside the bed. It was just a few minutes before seven.

I sighed and headed downstairs. The entire place was actually a bar and a home; upstairs was the house, downstairs the bar/restaurant.

"Cian, there you are," Tifa said. "Cloud and Denzel are home."

I nodded and followed her to the kitchen, where the back door was. Cloud (Mr. Strife, as I kept thinking) and 14-year-old Denzel were just walking in.

Cloud greeted his wife with a kiss, and Denzel opened up the closet and hung up his hoodie.

I had already met Cloud, and nodded to him. Then I looked at Denzel. His short-ish brown hair with almost unnoticeable blond highlights, he had sparkling deep green eyes, and pale skin.

He looked like he could actually be the Strife's biological child.

He glanced up at me and grinned. "Hi."

I offered a shy smile and said softly, "Hi…"

Tifa smiled widely; that was the first word she'd heard me speak all day.

She and Cloud left to go help run the bar, which was filled with cheerful customers.

I shifted my weight to my right, looking down. "This is… a really nice place," I commented. I hated being shy around younger people, but around strangers it was all I was capable of.

Denzel noticed, and didn't seem to mind. "It is. There are lots of nice people, especially the family friends. You'll meet them later," he added. I nodded. He smiled again and said, "Want to go upstairs? We could hang out in the game room."

"Sure," I replied. But when he headed for the front stairs, rather than the back, I froze.

"Are you okay?" he asked me. I looked away.

"I'm… not used to being around lots of people," I admitted.

He took my hand and grinned. "It's okay, we're just going to go past them to get to the stairs."

I stared at him. Most of the time any other kids in the foster families resented me; Denzel was the exact opposite. He treated me like I really was his sister, and had always been.

I followed him through the kitchen door and through the restaurant. People smiled and waved at us. It was so _friendly_!

Tifa, managing the bar, was beaming at us. She looked so happy that Denzel and I were getting along.

We went up to the game room, and Denzel showed me all the stuff there was.

"Most was made by Cloud and Cid," he said proudly. "But we bought a few."

I nodded again, trying to ignore the fact that he still held my hand. Almost as if he had read her mind, he let go and picked up a remote, putting it back in what I assumed must be its designated place.

I pulled at the collar of my turtleneck nervously. "Who is Cid?"

Denzel smiled. "One of our friends. He curses a lot, though. And smokes."

I could tell that it bothered him a lot, probably from a former foster home, because I often had the same expression.

"You don't like that he smokes, do you?"

He looked at me, surprised but accepting. "I should have known that you'd be able to tell. It's just that…" he frowned and looked away.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," I said quickly.

"No, it's fine." He sat down on the couch, and I followed his action, leaving a respectable distance between us.

"One of the foster homes I was in… the husband smoked a lot. I guess it's not the smoking itself that bothers me, just that it reminds me of him."

I nodded sympathetically. "I know what that's like," I whispered. "Well, to have something that reminds me of someone I don't like very much."

He looked at me, green eyes sparkling again. "I'm glad that we at least have a few things in common. It makes it much easier."

I laughed softly, and he jumped up. "Yes! I got you to laugh!"

His comic expression of triumph made me laugh harder. Pretty soon we were both laughing so hard we were rolling on the floor.

I loved it.

And I had a feeling that this home might actually work out.

* * *

><p>When Cloud came up to check on us, we were still laughing. The blond smiled.<p>

"Hey, Tifa's got dinner ready."

Denzel hopped up, the odd chuckle still escaping his lips, and I got to my feet.

I smiled at Cloud, something inside making me want to try hard for this home to work.

He blinked, bright blue eyes slightly wider than normal, then grinned back.

I bit back another giggle with a grin, realizing that I was mostly communicating by smiling. I'd have to work on that.

We went back downstairs and I wasn't bothered by the presence of people. Cloud put a hand on my shoulder, another on Denzel's.

I blushed a little, unable to remember when someone had even tried to touch me in a comforting way.

We ate in the kitchen, where Tifa had made us all dinner. Some other employees were taking care of the restaurant.

We sat at a small table, me next to Denzel and across from Cloud. Tifa sat next to him, across from Denzel.

It was nice, to sit at a table again with a family who seemed to really care.

They included me in the conversation, and I felt my shy exterior already beginning to crack.

"So how do you like it here?" Denzel asked when we were all pretty much done. I rolled my eyes. He was completely shameless.

Tifa was about to send him a warning glance when I said, "Great. It's a really nice place."

Tifa nodded, smiling. "We're glad."

Denzel nodded enthusiastically. "I like having a sister."

I grinned at him, and elbowed him gently. "I guess having a brother is okay, too!"

He returned the nudge, and it turned into an all-out poking-war. He was so easy to get along with that it didn't matter if I'd only known him for an hour. We were already like siblings.

"Alright, you two," Tifa said. "Try not to fight at the table."

"Not fighting," we said in unison as the poking turned into tickling.

Cloud glanced at Tifa with one eyebrow raised, but on his lips was a small smile.

Then Tifa gasped. "Oh crap, I totally forgot to get those forms!" She groaned, putting her head in her hands.

"What forms?" I asked curiously.

"The ones for school for you!" She frowned, then turned to Cloud. He looked at her for a moment and then sighed in defeat.

"I'll go get them."

I giggled. Tifa obviously had Cloud wrapped around her finger. _Whipped!_

After Cloud left to go get the forms, me and Denzel helped Tifa clean and put away the dishes.

After that, Tifa told us to go to bed, as it was almost ten. I didn't follow Denzel; I wanted to talk to Tifa.

"What's up?" she asked, wiping off the table. I shrugged.

"Nothing much… I… I just felt like saying thanks. For adopting me, and being so kind." I looked down, unsure of how to word it. "I… I like it here. Better than anywhere else… and I really hope that…" I paused, not knowing if I should continue that thought out loud. I decided that it was too soon and changed what I'd been about to say. "I really hope that this works out."

Tifa walked over and pulled me into a bear hug. I squeaked.

"You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that!" she breathed.

I hesitantly hugged her back. Having people care was something I hadn't had in my life for a long time, so I cherished it when I got it.

Tifa was still hugging me when Cloud got back. He didn't seem to get what was going on. I waved at him, peering over Tifa's shoulder. He walked over, standing next to us, wrapping an arm around each of us.

I hid my face in Tifa's shoulder, trying not to cry. Nothing like this had happened to me since before the accident.

After a few more minutes, we all pulled back a bit. I rubbed my eyes with my sleeve.

"… Good night," I said with a small smile, and rushed upstairs.

I passed Denzel's room on my way to my room.

"Hey, Cian," he said. I stopped in his doorway, leaning against it.

"Hey," I replied quietly.

He motioned me in, and I sat on the edge of his bed. It felt right.

"You okay?" he asked. I nodded.

"I'm surprised. None of the other places I've been made me feel like part of a real family, and definitely not so fast. What was it, two hours?"

He smiled, green eyes soft. "Tifa and Cloud are like that. They care about people. I felt the same way when they took me in off the streets after I ran from the group home."

"The streets, eh? That must've been rough."

"It was, especially since I had Geostigma."

I gaped at him. _Geostigma_? "Holy snicker doodles."

He laughed. "Snicker doodles? That's a new one."

I cocked my head. "You've never heard it before?"

"Nope. With my friends, it's mostly just normal, non-imaginative language."

"I'll have to change that!" I said with a quiet laugh.

"Cian… you are going to stay here, right?"

I blinked, looking into his hopeful eyes. Then I grinned. "Of course I am. I doubt I'll get another chance like this! Besides, where would that leave you?"

He sighed in relief. "Good." Glancing up at me and fidgeting, he smiled sheepishly. "I always wanted an older sister," he explained. I ruffled his hair.

"Well, you got one now," I stated.

He nodded, yawning. I got up. "We should get some sleep. Well, _I _have to. Tifa said she'd take me shopping for things tomorrow."

He sat up suddenly. "I'm coming, too."

At my questioning glance, he said, "If it's Tifa, you'll need all the help you can get."

"Oh. She's one of the heavy shoppers?"

"She is _the_ heavy shopper."

"Ha… the maybe you can show me around town after?"

"Sure…" He yawned again, already drifting off into sleep. I smiled, getting up and turning off the light.

Just as I was about to close the door, he whispered, "'Night, sis."

I blinked in shock. Then my heart filled with a warmth I hadn't felt in a long time. I smiled, though it was hidden by my hair.

"'Night, bro," I whispered back to him.

I shut the door and headed to my new room, tactfully ignoring Tifa and Cloud, who had obviously been eavesdropping.

I went into my new room, closing the door behind me. I went over and fell onto the bed, too tired from the day's emotions to change.


	2. Chapter 2

Two updates in one week! That'd some kind of record for me... No, not really... I've done three in a day before... hopefully I'll get to writing chapters to all my other stoires, soon, too, instead of just leaving them to finish themselves, which hasn't worked out that well, eheh...

Disclaimer: I don't own characters that don't belong to me.

* * *

><p>New Home Chapter 2: Who We Are<p>

* * *

><p>The next morning I woke up early, as was my habit. The sun hadn't even risen yet. I put my favorite outfit on the bed and then started to put the rest of my things away. There wasn't much—a small bag of clothes, some girl necessities, a few accessories and my Stash.<p>

My Stash was basically all I had been able to save from the accident.

My photos, my books, my crystals, my tarot cards.

I put my books away, and arranged my cards and crystals on the desk.

My three photos were already in frames but for one, so I put them on the nightstand facing the bed.

The first was of me and my cat, which had been sent to the humane society (I wasn't allowed to keep him at the orphanage). I'd had a huge fit about them sending off my only family left, but there was nothing I could do about it.

The second was of me and my best friend, Vailia, from my hometown.

The third was of me and my parents. I smiled at the photo in the near darkness.

"Hey Mom, hey Dad," I whispered. "I'm in another home again. But… I think this one will work out. Tifa and Cloud are very kind and loving, and Denzel is nice too. I miss you still, but I'm closer to home again. I'll try and come by the grave soon. I love you."

I pulled out my key-shaped locket and clipped it on my necklace. It held a picture of my parents.

Getting dressed quickly, I stuffed my cards into my beat-up leather purse and tugged the hem of my pale yellow turtleneck down over my pale blue jeans. I tied my long black hair up into a ponytail and pulled on socks.

The sun was up by then, so I put on my tan boots and tied my chocolate brown aviator jacket around my waist and headed downstairs. Tifa had told me that the bar opened for breakfast in the mornings, so she'd be up and getting ready for the customers.

I knew that the mornings were busy, so I decided to help out today. Once downstairs, I saw Tifa just starting to wipe off tables. I had seen her put the cleaning cloths away yesterday so I knew where they were.

I grabbed one and dampened it with the cleaning solution and started cleaning the wooden surfaces. Tifa looked at me in surprise.

"Morning," I said, moving to the next table.

"Good morning," she replied. "Thanks for the help."

I nodded, smiling. A few minutes later Denzel padded into the room and also grabbed a cloth to help. We had the room done in ten minutes.

"Thanks guys," Tifa said. "Now Shelke can take over once she gets here."

A knock on the still locked door announced the arrival of this 'Shelke'. Denzel ran over and opened the door. A petite woman walked in, greeting him. She waved to Tifa and turned to me.

"You must be Cian," she said warmly.

I nodded. "That's me."

"Denzel and Tifa have been talking about you a lot. It's great to finally meet you!"

I turned to the two mentioned. Tifa shrugged, grinning, and Denzel blushed a bit, scuffing his shoes on the floor.

"I didn't know I was so popular," I grinned. I winked at them.

Shelke laughed. "So, I hear Tifa's going to take you shopping." She leaned in close, and informed me in a stage whisper, "If you've been to six stores already, and she says, 'Just one more!', **run**!"

I giggled as Tifa pouted, and walked over to Denzel while they started bickering playfully.

"Morning, bro," I said, sitting next to him on one of the bar stools. He yawned.

"Morning." He yawned.

I smirked. "Not much of a morning person, are you?" I teased. He shrugged.

"Nope," he grinned, straightening his black t-shirt and retying his blue jacket around his waist.

"Kids, let's go. It's nice outside, so we'll walk," Tifa called from across the room. We hopped off our stools and ran after her as she went out the side door.

"Have fun!" Shelke called after us as the customers started coming in.

It was chilly outside, so we all put on our jackets. I was surprised that all Tifa used was a thin sweater, but she did have layered shirts today with her jeans and sneakers.

* * *

><p>The shopping trip was actually fun. I got school supplies, another pair of shoes (Tifa said that all girls need at least one extra pair), and some room decorations. Then Denzel spotted a sport shop, and we both bought a skateboard. His had a flaming horse on the bottom, and mine had silver eagle.<p>

"You know how to ride one of those?" Tifa had asked. "I can never stay on for more than ten seconds!"

It was actually a pretty short trip, because I didn't need much. We went back to Seventh Heaven and I put my stuff away.

After Tifa finished with a phone call, I caught up with her upstairs.

"Tifa, is it okay if Denzel shows me around town?" I asked. She nodded.

"Go ahead. Just don't get back too late, you have to help Cloud and I fill out those forms."

I nodded. "Got it!"

I grabbed my new skateboard. "Denzel! Tifa said it's okay!"

He ran downstairs, board in hand. "Awesome."

We went out the side door and hopped on the skateboards. "Where to first?" I asked, kicking the ground to keep up.

"Downtown, that's where everyone hangs out a lot," he called over his shoulder.

I swerved around a person and picked up a bit of speed so we were side by side. We went a little slower as more people crowded the sidewalks. Eventually we had to pick up our boards and walk.

I had to admit, this was a pretty cool town. There was lots of fun stuff to do, and a lot of cool places to go.

After a while we headed back to Seventh Heaven. The afternoon rush of people was gone, and there was only one large group that hung around. They waved to Denzel.

"Hey, Denz!" a spiky-haired brunette called. Denzel grinned at him and turned to me. "These are my friends. Let me introduce you."

We walked over after putting our skateboards in the closet.

"Who's this?" A silver-haired boy asked.

"This is Cian, my new sister!" he said cheerfully. I sighed.

"You make it sound like you ordered me on the Internet and I came in a box," I drawled, trying not to laugh.

"You didn't?"

"Thanks for the confidence booster."

Denzel shrugged, smirking. "Any time."

I rolled my eyes and turned to face the large group. "So, if I may, who are all of _you_?"

They introduced themselves. The brunette was Sora and the silver-haired guy was Riku. Then there was Kairi, Roxas, Namine, Hayner, Oylette, Pence, Wakka, Tidus, Yuna, Rikku, and Yuffie.

"Nice to meet you all," I said. I turned to Denzel. "I've got to go help Tifa and Cloud with that paperwork. See you later," I added to the rest of them. I turned and headed for the kitchen.

They were already seated and going through the forms.

I sat down across from them. Tifa smiled at me before going back to reading a paper. Cloud handed me the form that I needed to fill out. I thanked him and picked up a pen.

Full name. That was easy. Diamond Cian Austin. I filled out my name, preferred name, birthday, and previous schooling. Then came the medical part.

I hesitated. _Should I…?_

I shook my head. I should. The school would need to know… and so did Cloud and Tifa. It wasn't even a bad thing, really… most of the time. I shifted the form so I could write better. Then I paused, unable to remember the exact term for the disorder. I shrugged.

_Protective disorder._

I put the pen down and stared at the form. Those two words… I did not like the memories they brought with them.

"Is something wrong, Cian?" Tifa asked. I looked up at her, not sure how to answer. Was it really something that they needed to know?

"… Not _particularly_…" An answer that was sure to make her curious. Fuck. "I was just filling out the medical part…. With the disorders…"

Tifa leaned over the table towards me. "Is it something you want to talk about?"

I sighed. "I have a protective disorder, and it caused some trouble in the past."

Cloud's eyebrows rose. "Trouble?"

I looked over at the window. "Someone hurt a friend of mine badly… and I went after them. The next thing I knew… I was attending their funeral."

My eyes watered and I looked down at the table and dropped the form. I hid my shaking hands in my lap.

"It happened at a foster home… and the orphanage was not informed. I was never supposed to tell anyone…"

There was the sound of a chair scooting across wood, and I was suddenly enveloped in a crushing hug.

"It's okay," Tifa whispered. "You couldn't stop it, that's not your fault."

I blinked in confusion as a tear rolled down my face. Why was she _comforting_ me? I had _killed_ someone!

Cloud reached over and put his hand on my head gently. "If what he did made you that furious… there's a good chance that he deserved it."

I tried to smile at the blonde's attempt at comfort, but tears kept coming. _How long had it been, that I'd kept the guilt inside? _

I closed my eyes. If Tifa and Cloud… had accepted that immediately… there was a good chance that this would work.

* * *

><p>So we come to more of Cian's past... dun dun dunn... well, for now it's realistic. Ish. Wait till Ryoku and the tarot cards come in... the crystals, too... but I won't spoil any more for you, otherwise I might lose what little readers I have! Please REVIEW XD<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Hello again! Guess I have anothr update for you guys... whoever's reading this...

Disclaimer: I only own Cian and Ryoku.

* * *

><p>New Home Chapter 3: School and Scars<p>

* * *

><p>I stared at the uniform that was on my bed, still only clad in a towel from my shower. It had a skirt.<p>

It… had a skirt.

A skirt.

I narrowed my eyes at my sworn enemy, but knew that I had to get ready, or I'd be late to school.

So I grabbed a pair of dark brown leggings and put them on under the white-blue plaid skirt that _should _be illegal because it barely went to mid-thigh.

I pulled out a thin long-sleeved white shirt to go under the pale blue blouse and left the blouse open. Yanking on my dark-cocoa-colored knee-high boots and lacing them up tightly, I wrapped my aviator jacket around my waist and grabbed my messenger bag.

After a moment's hesitation, I slipped my tarot cards into my bag and clipped a crystal onto my necklace next to the locket.

I tied my raven-black hair into a ponytail as I walked downstairs, waving good-morning to Shelke and the early customers as I headed to the kitchen. Denzel was already there (curse boys and their lack of a need to dress up like girls).

"Tifa and Cloud went to go pick up the shelves that they ordered Friday," he informed me as he picked up a piece of toast.

"…" I replied, still tired. I'd been too nervous to sleep much last night, and finally had to sit on the still cold floor and meditate.

He glanced at me, green eyes amused, but he didn't say anything. He pointed to the fridge, where my school schedule was. I grabbed it on my way to get a cup.

"Thanks," I murmured, scanning it. I had core classes, and some College Prep class, and a free period last. I grinned. Taking most classes online and finishing them quickly had been a good call.

I had B lunch, which was the sophomore lunch, but Denzel had it too.

When I glanced up, he was staring at me. "What?" I asked, slightly unsettled. When Denzel stares at someone, he gets this weird serious look that makes you think that he's staring _through_ you.

He sat down next to me with his plate of food. "Why do you always cover your arms and legs?"

Unlike most people who would have asked this question, he did not get a fist in the face. Denzel had been through as many foster homes as I had (I learned this during the week before school started), and I knew he wouldn't ask this unless he felt like it was important, although I don't know why he'd choose the morning school started to ask.

I sighed and pulled back one of my sleeves. The scars that crisscrossed my body stood out against my pale skin, and I never felt comfortable showing them to many.

He nodded and I pulled the sleeve back down. I frowned, thinking that it was a bad way to start the day for both of us, but shrugged it off.

Once we finished breakfast, we walked to the bus stop. I would have liked to use my skateboard, but there would be no place for me to put it during school hours. Besides, all of Denzel's friends rode the bus, and I wanted to get to know them a bit better.

A loud screech of over-used brakes signaled the arrival of the bus. I stepped on after Denzel and followed him to the back.

Everyone else was already on the bus, and everyone but Riku and Namine were practically asleep.

Denzel slid in next to a girl with a pink bow in her dark hair, who I took to be the girl he seemed to have a crush on (Marlene) and always talked about. I stopped next to Riku.

"Can I sit here?" I asked. He nodded, and I sat and set my bag in my lap.

I stared at the seat in front of me, still tired from lack of sleep. It seemed that the morning bus rides were always quiet—I guessed that it would be a _lot_ louder at the end of the day.

I pulled out my schedule again, for lack of anything better to do. Riku leaned over so he could see it. I tilted it towards him.

"You have the same schedule that I do," he remarked quietly. I glanced at him.

"Does this mean I can follow you and not get lost?"

He smirked. "Maybe." I rolled my eyes and smiled.

We talked a bit more, to fill the silence around us. About ten minutes before we got to school, Riku leaned to the front and shook the seat ahead of us. Sora slowly turned, yawning.

"Morning," he said to us, and Roxas, who sat next to him, raised his head from the window.

One by one, everyone was woken up, just in time to stumble off the bus. I ruffled Denzel's hair as I walked by with Riku, telling him I'd see him at lunch.

"You guys have Art, too?" a soft voice inquired from next to me. Startled, I saw that Namine had fallen in beside me. I nodded. She smiled.

"Good, then I won't be alone."

We walked to the Elective building. Lockers were next to the students' first block, so I quickly opened mine and put my unneeded stuff away. Then I met Riku and Namine inside the classroom.

Each table held four students, so we went to one near the window. I sat across from Riku, and Namine was next to him. I secretly hoped that no one I didn't know sat next to me.

Luckily no one did. The teacher hadn't arrived yet, so I pulled out my sketchbook.

Most of the art in this were never finished—it was more of a concept art sketchbook. I had another with all the finished versions, but I left that at the bar.

I leaned back in my chair. "Who's the art teacher?" I asked Namine.

"Mrs. Fair," she replied. "But she doesn't mind if we call her Aerith."

I nodded slowly. The name seemed familiar…

Then the class went quiet, and I looked up. The teacher had just walked in…

And I knew why I remember the name.

The Fair's had wanted to adopt me… but something happened to the paperwork and they hadn't been able to. I had met them only once, unlike with Tifa and Cloud, who met with me over the course of three months.

Aerith and Zack had been as kind as the Strife's, and I remembered that clearly. I also remembered that the two couples were close friends.

She pulled out the roster and started calling out names. I knew she had come to mine when she blinked, and her eyes widened.

"Cian." Yup, her voice was the same as I remembered.

I swallowed. "Here."

She finished calling attendance.

"Alright," she began. "I'm Mrs. Fair, but you may call me Aerith. This class uses more of a free-style approach to art. Basically, when I _do_ give assignments, I will give you a theme and you must draw or paint or use some other medium to create a picture from that theme. Today is just a day for me to see where you're are with techniques and your style."

She looked around approvingly at all the students who already had sketchbooks.

"If you need paper, just ask me."

I tapped the smooth cover of my own sketchbook as she talked a bit more about the course. Then she told us today's assignment.

"Today's theme will be 'something you've always wanted'."

My breath caught in my throat. There had only been one thing I'd _ever_ wanted…

I swallowed again, and opened my sketchbook to a blank page. I sneaked a glance at Riku, who seemed to be thinking, and Namine, who already was starting to sketch out her drawing.

My eyes dropped to the paper in front of me. Aerith would be seeing these, and for this drawing, I'd have to be abstract. I didn't want to offend her. After all, she had wanted to give it to me.

Something I've always wanted… was to belong to a family.

Almost of its own accord, my hand grabbed my pencil and put it on the paper. I saw the picture forming in my head, and my hand moved to follow the lines.

I was finished with the basic outline before class was halfway done. It was scribbly and undefined, but clear enough to see what it was.

A girl, sitting on a couch. A boy a little younger than her was on her right, leaning against her shoulder. To her left were two adults, a man and woman, who sat facing the teens. The woman had her arms around both kid's shoulders in a gentle, comforting gesture, which matched the motherly look in her eyes . The man's posture was protective, but not smothering; his eyes proud but open-minded.

The boy had his arm on the girl's shoulder, bright-eyed and playfully grinning. The girl herself wore a wide smile… happy. Her eyes practically sparkled for once, and she was laughing.

I had drawn it at an angle, like you were coming into the room.

I blinked when I realized that it was the upstairs living room in Seventh Heaven.

I let my bangs fall in front of my face, trying to hide the tears that threatened to fall. _This_ was what I wanted… I wanted to be part of that family.

I wanted to call Tifa my Mom, and Cloud my Dad. I wanted to call Denzel my Brother… which I already could.

I wanted to be a Strife, more than anything in the world.

I lifted my hand, pretending to move my bangs while actually wiping my eyes. The realization shook me; I knew that I had wanted this home to work, but I never thought I wanted it so badly.

I grabbed my colored pencils from my bag and flipped to the blank page before the sketch (I have a habit of skipping pages between drawings).

I didn't want to wait to finish this one in my other sketchbook.

I quickly put in the base colors, flipping between the two pages to get the poses and positions right. Then I added the highlights and shadows of everything but the eyes, floor, furniture and walls.

I worked fast, and when I checked the clock there were only five minutes until the bell rang.

I quickly finished the room, but the eyes stumped me. I wasn't sure how to color them. I gripped a colored pencil tightly. Then I remembered the warmth I saw in Tifa's wine-colored eyes whenever she looked at me, Denzel, and Cloud. Denzel's happy expressions, his eyes the perfect blend of dark and light greens. The strong and proud but shy and caring orbs of electric blue that belonged to Cloud.

I remembered, and I knew I wouldn't forget no matter what happened.

My own pale green eyes were easy enough, which surprised me.

I finished two minutes later, and signed the picture in the lower right-hand corner in cursive, adding my symbol; a moon with a star. Then I flipped the page and wrote the assignment's theme on its back.

I smiled, then put it away as the bell rang.

"I'd like to see the pictures tomorrow, finished or not!" Aerith called after us as we walked out. I was sandwiched between Riku and Namine.

"So, what did you draw, Riku?" Namine asked.

He shrugged. "Having some peace and quiet. You?"

"My own studio," she sighed wistfully. "What about you, Cian?"

I jumped, unsure of how to answer. Mine was a bit more serious than most of the class' probably was…

"I drew… having a family," I whispered, looking away. Riku placed his hand on my shoulder and Namine gave me a one-armed hug. My face heated a bit; I wasn't used to having friends.

"I'd like to see it, sometime," Namine told me quietly. I nodded. She smiled, then said, "Well, my class is over there, so I'll see you at lunch."

She hurried off, leaving me and Riku to go to Math. My face turned red when I realized that Riku's hand was still on my shoulder in that comforting manner.

We headed to the Core Subjects building and entered the Math room. I blinked, recognizing Sora, Roxas, and Kairi. Riku steered me over in their direction and found us seats next to them.

"Hey guys," Riku said as he sat down in front of me, next to Roxas. I sat down next to Kairi and smiled at her. The redhead grinned back.

"Hey Cian."

I dropped my bag next to me and put my elbows on the desk to prop my head up. I closed my eyes, wondering what I was going to do.

I knew that the Fair's were close friends with Tifa and Cloud; I had seen a lot of pictures with them in it. And now Aerith was my Art teacher… and I knew that Zack worked in this school as well.

I wasn't sure how to handle it. The Fair's had truly wanted to adopt me… but they couldn't… and now I'd been adopted by their friends.

Did they know who'd adopted me? I would have guessed so, but I wasn't sure. I felt bad, but I didn't really have a say in the matter either… I wondered how they felt.

I shook my head clear as the Science teacher walked in. Several student's paled at the sight of the silver-haired man who stalked through the doors.

He was tall. Very tall. And rather menacing.

He was _definitely_ not the kind of teacher you messed with.

He introduced himself as Sephiroth (no last name…), called role, and then had a random student pass out the course outline. I stared at the six-page packet, covered in size 6 type, single-spaced, front and back.

I was so screwed.

I think most of the other students were thinking the same thing, because when the bell rang they almost ran over each other to escape the room. Only Riku and I actually walked out the door.

Science was two classrooms down, and we had it with Tidus, Wakka, and a girl named Selphie.

While I looked over the course outline, I could barely stop myself from strangling that Selphie girl. She was as annoying as FUCK. She would not _shut up_.

I ground my teeth together as she chattered on about boys, the latest gossip, and how excited she was about the dances in the upcoming school year.

The boys sent me sympathetic looks, but didn't even try to help. I made a mental note to get them back for that later.

The History teacher, Mr. Highwind, was nice enough, as long as you didn't get on his bad side. One kid made that mistake… he was outside with his face on the hall floor before you could say "Oh shit".

Then was lunch. I followed Riku to the cafeteria. He went to go get his lunch, and I spotted Denzel waving at me. I headed over and sat in the seat pointed to, across from him, with a sigh.

"So how was it?" he asked me cheerfully. I scowled, sending him the 'very funny' look. He laughed, and I pulled out my lunch from my bag.

I ate quickly, then leaned on the table. On sudden impulse, I told him, "I have Aerith for Art." He blinked.

"Aerith works here?"

I face-palmed and sat up. "Zack does, too."

While he absorbed this, I pulled out my sketchbook, bored. I flipped past the picture I'd drawn for Art and stared at a blank page before doodling all over it. I smirked evilly as I drew a chibi Sephiroth being smashed into the ground by a chibi me holding a frying pan. That pretty much set the theme for that page in my sketchbook: hilariously morbid.

Then the bell rang, and it was time to go to fourth block. For me and Riku, it was College Prep.

"Sorry about Selphie bothering you," Riku said quietly as we walked to class. "She can never take a hint and go away."

"It's fine," I shrugged. "As long as I only have her for that one class and lunch I can deal."

He nodded again, emerald eyes hooded by his silver bangs, as we entered the classroom and sat by the windows near the front but not too close.

The teacher was already there. He, like Sephiroth, had silver hair, but darker skin. He also had the same ice-cold look in his eyes. Another one of _those_ teachers.

"I am Mr. Xemnas," he informed us. "And you will address me as such. None of this 'first name' frivolity that some teachers here seem to not mind. In this class you will be expected to work hard and work well."

He then went on to list the things expected from us and the general outline of the class.

I zoned slightly, making sure to keep listening just in case, and stared out the window.

I sighed. Today had actually been okay… but I still felt like an outsider. It was only to be expected, though. At least it wasn't like one of the schools I'd been to…

My light green eyes—almost a neon green—darkened slightly and I knew that a purple swirl had circled the iris. I forced myself past the memories. Those days were over.

"Ms. Cian."

I turned to look at Mr. Xemnas, and I knew that something in my eyes must have unsettled him, because he hesitated before leaving it at "Pay attention."

I nodded curtly, thinking. Mr. Xemnas had a shocking eye color of gold…

I jumped as the bell rang. Riku turned in his seat to look at me. "Are you okay?" he asked. I nodded.

We went to English. The teacher was Mrs. Valentine, but insisted that we could call her Lucrecia if we wanted to. She was just as kind as Aerith, and for that I was glad.

"Tonight I would like you all to write a short story, just one page, so I can see where you all are," she told us.

I wrote the assignment on the back of my hand, the only place I ever remembered to look. When the bell rang I went outside. Riku went to the library, and I wandered the campus. Behind the cafeteria I found a small garden area. I stood and stared up at the sky, hand lightly gripping my bag.

I had an hour left before school ended… I sat down in the grass against a tree. While the air was cold, the sun warmed me, so I took off my jacket and pushed up my sleeves.

I studied my scars, turning my arms over and comparing them. In the cold, my scars stood up like little ridges, crisscrossing my light skin. I remembered where I had gotten them and stared blankly at the grass in front of me.

"Stupid bitch, get out of my way!" ***Slap***

"_Don't try to play victim! This is your fault and you know it!" *__**Smack**__*_

_I cringed into the wall as she stalked past, and she glared at me before throwing me to the ground. "Thanks to __**you**__ I got stuck with another brat!" She dragged me to the kitchen, and I whimpered._

"_Shut up, you filthy little rat!" She slashed a kitchen knife across my back twice, then kicked my legs out from under me. She picked up her heel and ground it into my back, into the deep cuts there. I screamed._

"Goddamned bitch!" The footsteps were loud and terrifying as he came downstairs. I scrambled away, only to be dragged back by him. He took the knife from her, and held me down on the floor. I cried as he cut the words into my back and along my arms.

I still haven't found the courage to read—or get someone to read—whatever he had written.

I shivered, and shook my head. I checked the phone that Cloud had gotten me. 1 text.

So how's your day so far?

I smiled, and replied, _Texting in class, are we Denzel? For shame! _XP

A minute later he answered back. _Psh, it's all good. _:D

_Really… hey, did you know about this little garden behind the cafeteria?_

_No… _

_It's nice. I might fall asleep here._

_School's going to end soon…_

_And?_

_The bus._

_Your point?_

_If you feel like walking._

_So what if I do _X3

_At least I'll know where you are if I don't see you on the bus. Actually, everyone wants to go hang out at home after school, so it's not like you'll get lost, right?_

_I know the way back._

Good. Oops… got to go… Zack has us playing dodgeball. See you at home!

I checked the time before flipping the phone shut. I had some time. I leaned back against the tree, eyes closing.

I didn't realize that I had dozed off until I heard someone and opened my eyes. I blinked slowly, rubbing sleep from my eyes, and focused on my surroundings.

There were a bunch of teachers gathered around.

I jumped and sat up. "!"

Aerith made her way through the small group, and I looked away. She knelt down in front of me.

"Cian?" she asked. I glanced up, nodded, and tossed my phone into my bag.

"Cian, where did you get those scars?"

I froze, then realized that I had left my sleeves up, and a teacher had seen and made a fuss. I stood, covering my arms again and said, "An accident from a while back; it's no big deal."

I glanced around, seeing the other teachers. Mr. Xemnas I recognized, and Mr. Highwind, Mrs. Valentine, Sephiroth… and Mr. Fair.

I checked the time, ignoring the adults, and mentally cursed. "I must've slept longer than I thought… Tifa and Cloud are gonna be worried sick," I said out loud.

Aerith blinked, and I mentally smacked myself. She probably hadn't known!

"You're staying with the Strife's?" Fuck…

"They adopted me," I told her softly. Zack, who had been behind her, put a hand on her shoulder. I picked up my bag and jacket, pulling at my sleeves.

"Well that's good," she smiled, and I stared. "You couldn't ask for kinder guardians."

I tightened my hand around the strap of my bag before walking away.

"I guess, but there are some pretty close seconds," I informed her and Zack over my shoulder.

I headed towards the corner, where two outdoor walls met, at a run. Ignoring the gasps of a few teachers as I ran full-tilt at the wall, I jumped at the last moment, wall-climbing up the 16-foot building of the cafeteria.

I rolled over the edge and took off running, grinning like a maniac as I jumped from building to building.

_You gotta love Parkour,_ I thought giddily, glancing black at the small group of teachers watching me go.


	4. Chapter 4

I made it back home in less than a half hour. When I entered through the side door, Denzel was sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for me. He glanced at me, then tilted his head towards the office door.

I nodded and dropped my bag in the closet before knocking softly on the door.

"Come in," Tifa called. I did, closing the door behind me.

"Sorry for being late," I said, watching her as she wrote out checks for bills. "I fell asleep in my free period."

She looked up. "Just please call next time… we were worried."

I nodded and went back to the kitchen, sitting at the table next to Denzel. He glanced up from his phone, one eyebrow raised. I made a face and shrugged, going to get my bag. I went up to my room.

Making sure to close the door behind me, I pulled out my tarot cards and put them on the floor, kneeling in front of them.

"Reálë finálu fÿorümi," I whispered, palms flat on the floor on either side of the deck.

The cards glowed and levitated off the wooden floor. I sat up and watched as Ryokü emerged from the deck.

Ryokü is an animal spirit/god, bonded to me through my tarot cards. He usually takes the shape of a small black dragon, kind of like Toothless the nightfury, except his head is more angular and his eyes are purple. And he's about the size of a cat, usually.

"Finally!" he muttered, stretching his wings out a bit. "I haven't been Released once in this past year!"

"Sorry," I said. "I couldn't let you loose at Terra's. I was in a group room, remember?"

He nodded sullenly, purple eyes moody. "You're still upset about the accident," he said bluntly.

I blinked. "Come again?"

"You heard me."

I sighed. "Ryokü… why must you bring it up every time I let you loose?"

He made himself comfortable around the deck of cards. "Because, unlike you, I remember exactly what happened. And you still won't let me tell you."

My eyes narrowed. "I don't want or need to know anything more than the fact that he's dead and I was the one who killed him."

My Familiar snorted but dropped the subject. "Anyways, about this new place. You do know that as time goes by it'll get harder for you to hide me, right?"

I nodded. "Apparently this is place is right above an old portal."

"And you know what that means."

I sighed again. I still wasn't completely used to all of the 'magic' that I was hiding. Ryokü had only made himself known to me when I was twelve.

"That we'll have to merge again so you won't go full-size… again."

"We can do that in about a month or so," he replied, tail waving. "So I'll tell you when. Then we'll have to fake another injury for your eye… God that gets annoying…"

I shot him a glare. "You think that's annoying? How about me, the one who actually has to go through the pain?"

He grinned at me toothily. I scowled and glanced at the clock. "Fuck. I have to get started on that writing assignment…"

I had no idea what to write for Lucrecia. She had given me free-reign… and I had no clue what to do.

"Write about me!" Ryokü exclaimed, rolling onto his side. "That's always a good idea!"

"Conceited little bastard," I muttered, rummaging through my backpack for a pencil. "I think I'll go more for the self-narrative kind of story…"

It ended up being about some girl who grew up in a forest, raised by a dragon. Then she met humans from her old village, and they killed the dragon when he went to meet them. She cursed them in her grief, blah blah blah, and Sung herself and his body into a stone tree with song-magic so she could mourn her friend forever.

It was actually a story Ryokü had told me once, when I was younger. I think it was about him, when he was actually alive… as of right now he's only a spirit.

"Good choice," he said, reading over my shoulder. "Glad to see that you remember things I say."

I shrugged, putting the story in my folder. "It was an interesting story."

He nodded, curling up around my neck. "And what about the picture for Aerith?"

I stiffened. I really, really didn't want to turn it in… for more than one reason.

"I have to show it to her," I said slowly. "I just hope she doesn't get upset."

"I don't think she will."

"If you say so…"

"I do say so," he said smugly.

And the talk ended there, as my eyes closed and my head hit the desk with an audible thunk. I wasn't asleep, but it was close enough that he knew I wouldn't talk anymore.

"Stubborn girl," he sighed, rubbing his scaly neck against my cheek. I scowled but otherwise ignored him.

"Just make sure you don't get caught," I finally muttered. "Not… not yet." And then I really did fall asleep.

When I woke up, it was almost eight. Ryokü had wrapped himself around my neck, and I gently pried him loose, setting him on my bed beside my pillow, on the side facing away from the door so he would be hidden from view.

I headed downstairs, smelling Tifa's cooking all the way in my room. Waving to a few regulars at the bar who were pretty cool that I'd met in the time I'd been here, I headed to the kitchen.

"Cian, you okay?" Cloud asked. I blinked.

"Yeah… why?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "You just seem a little down."

I sighed. "I just… there's something I'll have to show you all soon, and I don't know how you'll take it. It's… really important."

He stared at me, mouth slightly open, eyes wide and full of shock. I face-palmed at what I'd said—it insinuated something different than Ryokü.

"No, I'm not pregnant," I said through gritted teeth.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, good. Now I don't have to harm some guy who did it.

"You seriously thought that?" I had to ask.

"Hey, can't be too careful with a pretty girl like you," he shrugged. "Something might have happened that we didn't know about. I'm glad it didn't, though. Tifa might have killed."

I winced. "Yep. Anyways…"

"What were you all saying?" Tifa said as she walked in. Cloud and I jumped.

I quickly bent over backwards all the way, my head an inch above the floor, knees bent out, and my arms waving wildly above me. "Uh… ahh… Look, Ma! No hands!"

I had intentionally placed the 'Ma' in there, seeing as I finally felt like I could call her that. If she agreed, of course.

Cloud completely missed it, and instead stared. "Damn!"

Tifa absently popped him upside the head, eyes soft as she looked at me.

"Yes, yes, very cool," she rolled her eyes, going with the joke. "Now get your head away from that floor, I haven't cleaned it yet."

I let my arms fall back, and used them to 'walk' between my own legs like a contortionist. Then I let my legs fling back, and used the force to right myself. "Flexibility," I smirked.

Cloud shook his head and walked into the kitchen, calling over his shoulder, "Contortionism is a whole different level."

I giggled and rolled my eyes, going over to Tifa. She ruffled my hair. "Dinner's almost ready, you might want to clean up."

"I will," I said. "Be right back."

"Cian," she said quickly. When I turned to look at her, she looked a little sad. "Aerith called today, after you got back. She said… well… she said that you had…"

"The scars?" I asked. "Yeah. But those are from a long time ago. It doesn't matter anymore." I lifted my sleeves a bit to show her a small portion of them.

"Doesn't matter anymore?" she whispered, catching my arm and sliding the sleeve up farther. "Cian, these are scars from knives."

I looked away. "I know."

"Who else knows?" she demanded.

"Denzel found out this morning…and a few other teachers besides Aerith and Zack…" I replied quietly.

"Cloud!" she called, pulling me into a hug. "Cloud!"

"Yeaf, Teef, what is it?" he hurried back into the room. Tifa motioned him over before sliding my sleeve all the way up to my shoulder, showing him why she was so upset. His mouth opened in shock and he turned to me.

"Is this what you wanted to tell us?" he asked.

I shook my head. "That's something else…"

"Were you going to tell us at all?" he knelt down in front of me and I noticed that kneeling, he was almost as tall as I was. Hm. I guess I'm short.

"I was going to sometime… but… I wasn't really supposed to…" My vision blurred as tears formed. "It's just like that stupid disorder, I was never supposed to tell, and I didn't…"

He sighed and pulled me into a hug. "Cian… you can tell us anything. You know that. Right?"

"… Right," I sniffed, relaxing into his arms. I felt Tifa's arms around us a moment later.

Pulling back, Cloud took me by the shoulders and looked me in the eyes. "Who did it." A statement, not a question. He meant business.

"One of the foster homes… they… they hated me. I think… I think the man's name was Hojo… and the woman was Scarlet…

Cloud growled. "That bastard. I should have known he was still around…" He stood, pulling me into another hug and running his hand through my hair. "I think it's time somebody did something about him and Scarlet."

"But they'll—!" I began before I slapped my hand over my mouth. I couldn't say it. It was too horrible for words.

"They'll what?" At my lack of response, Tifa tried again. "Cian, they'll what?"

"Kill you," I whispered, eyes wide. It couldn't happen! I wouldn't let it! Not my family!

"We'll be fine. You, however, need to get those scars checked out. How long have you had them?" Cloud asked.

"A year and a half," I replied, still scared that something would happen to them if they tried to go after Hojo and Scarlet. Those two were bad news. The scars weren't the worst that had happened while I was with them. "D… Cloud… what are you going to do…?"

Holy fuck. I'd almost called Cloud 'Dad'. I don't think either of us were ready for that just yet.

He looked down at me for a moment. "First I'm going to go to the authorities, see if anything can be done about what they did to you. If so, then hopefully we can get them in jail. If not…"

I looked down and away. If the authorities could do that, then fine. But if not…

"Is that the only thing they did to you?" Tifa asked hesitantly, like she was hoping it was.

My silence was answer enough.

There wasn't really much to say about it. I refused to say anything else until later. How much later, even I didn't know. After a little while we went to eat; Denzel was at a friend's house for dinner and he was staying there overnight, so it was just us.

Afterwards I went upstairs. Ryokü was awake, and sensing my distress he let me rest my head on him, after he had used his magic to make himself a little bigger than a medium-sized dog.

"They know a little," I said once nearly an hour had passed. "I'm going to tell them everything."

Ryokü turned to stare at me. "Cian," he said warningly.

"There family," I whispered. "Just like you. I want my family together, not a family here and a family there. I'm sure they'll understand."

It was then that I realized that their family was my family too, or would be eventually.

I got up and dove for my backpack, yanking out my sketchbook and a pencil, flipping it open and scribbling furiously until I got down a basic picture that I found acceptable—really until I got the poses down right from what I remembered.

My colored pencils were nearly dead by the time I finished the picture two hours later, the tips worn flat and the centers slightly bent from how hard I had gripped them.

In the center there was me, Denzel, Tifa, and Cloud, our arms slung around each others' shoulders. Behind us were Aerith and Zack.

Beside and around us were all of my new friends and teachers, and Cloud and Tifa's friends that I'd seen in pictures. Ryokü was in his full form, circled around us. We were all on a rather large hill like the ones on the south side of the city, with the city in the background.

Somewhere I belong.

Done, I stared at it before I grinned. "This," I said. "This is the one."

Ryokü peered over my shoulder, and his purple eyes widened slightly. "Cian…" he cooed. "It's wonderful."

I rested my hand on his scales. "It's where we belong."


	5. Chapter 5

I went back downstairs, course outlines in hand, about to ask if Tifa or Cloud could sign them for me really quick. I poked my head through the door of their office, where they usually were in the evenings after dinner, and froze. Aerith, Zack, Lucrecia, a black-haired man with red eyes, and Sephiroth were there, too.

Cloud had looked up when I opened the door. He smiled at me, motioning me over. I went, and he took the papers where he was supposed to sign from me. I stayed silent until he'd signed, and thanked him, about to leave before anyone could talk to me.

"Hey," he pulled me back. "What was the other thing you were going to tell us?"

"Oh!" I exclaimed. I'd almost forgotten. "Let me go get him."

I scampered out, ignoring his exclamation of, "_HIM_?"

"Ryokü!" I called from downstairs. I heard his wings flapping before he appeared at the top of the stairs, in his smaller form again, and dive-bombed me. I caught him, though it drove the breath out of my lungs. "Hey!"

"You asked for it, for telling them," he muttered, though he was nice enough to only bite my arm softly. "But let's do this."

I walked back into the office, and heads turned, and then did double-takes.

"This is Ryokü," I announced. "He's my Familiar."

"Pleased to meet you," Ryokü said, with as much dignity as he could muster while being cuddled by a teenager.

Jaws dropped and I grinned. Cloud stood and walked over. "You have a… dragon for a … familiar?" he asked, unsure as to how it worked or what a Familiar was.

"Mmhm," I nodded. Ryokü dipped his head in acknowledgement to Cloud before spreading his wings and climbing up to stand on my shoulder.

"By the way," Ryokü said. "A Familiar is either an animal or spirit animal that is bound to someone through their magic. However, there are always exceptions to that general rule. For example, I am the spirit of an animal god, so both my magic and Cian's is more powerful, therefore our bond is stronger than most. She can take my shape if she wants to, and I can take her form, though I do like to make modifications," he added, in a tone of utmost importance, the one that he used when he was being an animal god.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, yes. Now shut up so I can explain a bit more." He snorted, releasing a puff of smoke for show. I continued. "I wanted to tell this to you, partially because I don't want any more secrets, and partially because you needed to know. Your house is over an old portal to the spirit realm."

Zack leaned over to get a better look at Ryokü, who stood a little straighter before flapping a few times to get over to the table, where he made himself grow so he was the size of a small wildcat.

"I thought dragons were extinct," Sephiroth stated in that low, deadly quiet voice of his.

"We are. I am a spirit, you know," Ryokü pointed out. "I only have a body because I'm feeding off Cian's form."

Tifa blinked. "Feeding?"

"I made it so that Ryokü takes a portion of my future form. Or the time I would have had in that form," I explained slightly reluctantly. There was a reason there weren't any mages anymore—having a familiar takes years off your life. The more powerful you were, the less time you had to live. My kind all died off.

Tifa's eyes widened, then narrowed, but she said nothing more. Aerith, on the other hand, caught on quickly, and said so.

"You mean that Ryokü having a form is taking away from your lifespan?" she asked, before the reality of what she said really hit her. Zack reached out and grabbed her hand tightly.

"Is there any other way to have a Familiar?" The red-eyed man who I realized was Vincent, from pictures I'd seen above the TV in the living room. He was Lucrecia's husband.

I shook my head. "Nope. But I don't mind. Ryokü helps keep me in control. Usually, anyways."

Realization in both Cloud and Tifa's eyes made me go quiet for a few moments.

"The disorder?" Tifa asked quietly. I nodded.

"Disorder?" Zack questioned. I felt kind of bad, about everything being unloaded all at once.

"I have a protective disorder," I sighed. "I… well…"

"It made her kill someone," Ryokü deadpanned. "And she _still_ won't let me tell her what happened."

"I told you, all that matters is that it was my fault he's dead," I hissed, eyes rapidly turning purple.

"No, that's not all that matters," he snapped. "You don't know. You need to know, and you _know_ you want to know."

"Ryokü," I growled. "**Shut. Up.**"

"Don't say I didn't warn you," he said flippantly, waving his tail at me lazily. I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever," I sighed, leaning back against the wall. "At least you know when to back down."

All eyes were on me by then, even Tifa and Cloud, who already knew about that. Since I was still next to Cloud, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into a half-hug. I let him; he was warm, and gave nice hugs. Usually I would just get moody and go to wherever I could be alone, but with Cloud and Tifa… well… yeah.

"Cian… it isn't healthy to keep things bottled up," Zack said solemnly. "I think Ryokü's right, and you do need to know, if only for closure. Otherwise this will just keep dragging on. It will keep following you, throughout your life, if you can't get over it."

I slowly looked up at him. I knew Zack well enough to know that he should be listened to when he was serious. Aerith nodded encouragingly at me. Tifa smiled reassuringly, and Cloud gave my shoulders a squeeze. Lucrecia looked from Ryokü to me, and nodded. Vincent and Sephiroth nodded in agreement with Zack's words.

I sighed in defeat. "Fine. But… can it wait? Just a day or two?"

"Why not now?" Aerith wondered.

"Because I'm stressed out right now and I don't need anything else that might possibly make me go over the edge," I deadpanned. "And no doubt it would take a long time to piece everything together. That aside… why _are_ you all here?"

"They came to ask about the scars," Cloud informed me. "But I won't say anything unless you want me to."

"Go ahead," I shrugged. "It seemed like you knew those two anyways."

"Yeah," he said bitterly, and I blinked, surprised. "We know them. Hojo and Scarlet were her guardians at one point, and they injured her," he told the others. "But we're not sure how much."

Sephiroth's hands clenched up, as Lucrecia, Aerith, and Zack gasped quietly. Vincen't eyes turned a deeper red than before, filled with fury.

"So I was right in thinking nobody likes them…" I muttered.

"They are very bad people… and have done horrible things to all of us…" Aerith whispered. She clutched Zack's hand tightly.

I nodded. "I have scars all over from them…" Glad I'd thought to wear a tank top, I pulled my long-sleeved shirt off before anyone could protest.

The tank was low-backed, almost down to the bottom hem by my hips, and scooped down to my waist at the sides, allowing many of my scars to be seen. I pulled my hair to the front, over one shoulder, so they could see them better, and turned my back to them. I heard gasps.

"They should be arrested for this…" Lucrecia said angrily.

"Your spine," Tifa said softly, touching my back cautiously. I held back a wince. I'd injured my spine, once, while running from Hojo, and my spine had healed wrong. It had an odd kink to the left about four inches down from my shoulders, before going back to its original position an inch down. Plus, I'd only been with the Strife's for two weeks, and that wasn't enough time to gain enough fat to hide how my spine jutted out like a row of spikes.

I felt a gentle hand begin to trace the words carved onto my back, hesitantly. I let them. At least my ribs weren't showing… much…

"Was there other abuse, too?" Aerith walked around to face me. Slowly, I nodded in reply. In a matter-of-fact, blank voice, I listed the main things they'd done to me.

"Psysical, emotional, sexual abuse, and isolation."

When I said 'sexual', I knew Hojo and Scarlet were in for some trouble.

Ryokü hissed at the word, pupils narrowed to slits, the mere mention of that memory filling him with fury. Sephiroth looked about ready to hunt them down right then and there, sharing a look with Vincent. The women pulled me into a group hug, as Cloud, Zack, Sephiroth and Vincent headed for the door. When Cloud saw me looking at him questioningly, he spoke. "We're going to call in some old friends to help us with this."

I nodded.

Ryokü shrunk down to the size of Sephiroth's hand and fluttered over to Cloud. "I'll come with." He tucked himself against Cloud's throat underneath his turtleneck.

Tifa tucked my head under her chin. "Alright. We'll wait here until everyone's in the bar."

I couldn't see. My face was pressed up against Tifa's large… chest. I blushed, but apparently there was nothing wrong or awkward about it to her, so I didn't struggle.

I wondered why they all would care so much, but apparently it was also a personal thing for them too, so that I could understand.

Lucrecia ran a hand over my raised scars, and frowned. "You need to be checked out for this. Those scars shouldn't have healed so badly." As she spoke, Tifa shifted, allowing me to breathe and see once more.

Aerith got a strange look on her face, distant yet thoughtful. She placed her hand on my forehead. It was cool against my skin. I blinked as an odd sensation filled me, like something was sweeping through my body and examining me.

When she took her hand away, she explained, "I'm a Cetra. I was making sure no traces of disease or anything that could have prevented your skin from healing properly. You have traces of Geostigma in your blood."

"What?" I gasped. "But I never…" I trailed off. Once I'd had a long trail of bruises that wouldn't fade, and couldn't remember where they came from. "But I never had any treatment!"

"It came in the rain," Tifa said softly. "Aerith asked the Goddess to help those with Geostigma, and she sent a pool of healing water to Aerith's church. It made rain that healed those outside, and the rest were brought to the pool. Maybe you were outside when it rained."

"Probably. I did spend most of my time outside…" I murmured. Then it hit me. Aerith was a Cetra.

_Ryokü must have known_, I realized. _He must have sensed her the moment she came near. And he didn't tell me…_ Mages and Cetra are very close to each other. The two races—and yes, mages are their own race, able to use magic like no human could—are sisters, both close to the Goddess and to Gaia. We increase each other's power when we are in close proximity. We even keep each other healthier than we would have been alone. We're stronger together.

_Does Aerith know that_? I wondered sadly. _Mage history is passed down through genetics… we are born with the knowledge of our ancestors… are Ancients like that?_

I didn't know, and wasn't sure how to ask. I decided against asking period. My curiosity had gotten me in trouble more times than I cared to count, and I wasn't going to chance offending Aerith somehow.

I also didn't know I was crying until Tifa grabbed a tissue and started wiping away the tears. I held onto her tighter. I hadn't allowed myself to cry about anything… I needed to be strong enough to handle it. Apparently I wasn't. Apparently I was still weak enough to cry about things I couldn't do anything about.

Eventually Tifa led me to the kitchen, made me drink some water and sit down. She kept her hand on my shoulder.

I wondered what Denzel was doing over at his friend's house—if I should tell him when he got back. Did he really need to know? He might do something drastic, knowing him. Even though he was younger, he hated seeing me hurt. I'd found that out when he got really upset when I gave myself a small cut while helping with dinner. He flipped out.

I felt a gentle tug on my bond with Ryokü. He had probably found something, but I was too tired to respond. It was pretty late, after all, almost midnight. And today had been a long day. I could feel myself starting to fall asleep against Tifa's shoulder.

By the time Cloud and the others returned, with a group of people in tow, I was almost out. Ryokü immediately flew over to me, circling like a butterfly—he was about twice the size, though—as the others walked into the empty bar.

I recognized Cid, and Barret, from school and the photos in the living room. The others I was too tired to bother trying to remember if I'd heard of them or saw them before.

Cloud walked over to us, smiling apologetically. "Sorry to have you stay up so late," he said quietly. I shook my head slowly, getting to my feet.

"S'okay," I mumbled. "'M fine."

He chuckled. "You're about asleep on your feet."

"No 'm not," I mumbled, and he ruffled my hair slightly. Sighing quietly, I leaned into him, too tired to stand up on my own. I really was falling asleep… and he was very, very warm… just like Dad was…

_I wonder if Dad would approve of the Strifes…_ I wondered sleepily. _I think he'd like that it's them taking care of me… that it was them who became family to me._

Cloud was shaking me slightly, but I couldn't stay up any longer. I felt Ryokü put me in a slight hibernation, where I was aware of everything around me, but I couldn't open my eyes, move, or make a sound. Cloud caught me, picking me up.

"I knew you were tired," he murmured, as my body was curled up against him. "Tifa, fill them in on everything while I get her to her room."

"Show them first," Aerith commanded.

Cloud shifted me so he was holding me, facing him, and pulled my hair to the side, showing my left shoulder, and part of my back. Then he let my hair fall back over, and turned, walking away from the others as Tifa began explaining.

He brought me up to my room, nudging open the door with his foot.

"What an exciting first day of school," Cloud said quietly, sarcasm light in his words. He gently laid me on my bed. "Don't worry, Cian. We'll get them for what they did. You'll be fine." He burshed some hair out of my face. "You're strong. You'll pull through. Though I might do better to actually say this when you're awake," he laughed softly.

I felt lips gently press against my forehead before he left the room, his footsteps light.


	6. Cian's English Story

**This is the story Cian wrote for Lucrecia's class**_  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>It's hard to find a forest that no one's ever seen. But one human child did, and for a long time remained the only human ever to set foot inside.<em>

Ellÿssa was young, very young, when she entered the Forest of the Yükar, barely two winters had she seen. Lost she was, and lost she remained even as she wandered the ancient woods.

The creatures that guarded the Forest of the Yükar watched the child carefully. They had never seen a human before; only legends told of the simple-minded beings that were capable of destroying and creating at the same time. Her dark hair and pale skin, and startling green eyes intrigued many.

Now there was one such Guardian who took a special interest in young Ellÿssa, for reasons known only to himself even to this day.

Filüÿa was of the upper Caste in the Dragon's court, being of the Second Generation. His scales were of midnight black, his eyes a deep indigo. He was, of all things, a scholarly sort, instead of a hunter like most of his kind. He claimed to have no need of such beastliness.

Many believe that it was for that very reason that Filüÿa was so keen to meet the new resident of the forest. He followed the child for days, but never spoke. She knew that she was being watched, but as the child that she was, was not yet capable of understanding why. She was also unable to care for herself, and thus her health deteriorated in the winter of that year.

Filüÿa took her into his own home, caring for her from then on. She grew attached to him, even though at first his reptilian appearance was frightening. Slowly, she grew, and he taught her the language of the animals and the spirits.

Ellÿssa learned quickly, and by the time that she had passed her tenth winter she was no longer considered a pitiful human by the Guardians of the Forest of Yükar. She became one of them, watching over the woods she now called her home.

But where she came from she was not forgotten. When she had grown into her fourteenth winter, and spring was barely in its beginning, humans came from a village to the South in search of the child they lost years ago.

She watched them from the back of her friend and mentor, Filüÿa, as he flew silently, invisible due to his powerful magic.

'_Who might these beings be?' _she asked him as she looked down from the sky. _'They search, yet know truly not what they search for.'_

'_They look yet for a human child, who has already become a spirit woman,'_ he replied. _'They come to find you, kin.'_

She requested that he land, and hide himself (for she knew that her kind was normally violent), and approached the group.

'_Who comes into the Guarded Woods and has not yet announced their presence?'_ she questioned out loud.

The humans were astonished; here, after all these years, the child they looked for yet lived, and had grown strong!

'_It is us, the people of Salïr!'_ they cried. _'We come in search of our lost daughter; may you be she?'_

'_I may indeed,'_ she answered. _'But even so, vain must your search be, for I have grown and lived here, and my home is indeed here, and I must not leave my forest.'_

A woman stepped forwards. _'I disagree; you are my kin, daughter of my sister! Should you have less heart, to tell me I must go back to my sister and tell her that her only child has forsaken her kind for the beasts of the forest?'_

'I have more heart, and so tell you to tell my mother that I have learned much from the spirits of the woods that you so foolishly called beasts, and have become like as to them in kindred. I am no longer a daughter of humans, but a sister of the gods.'

And the people of Salïr were glad, that they found their young one grown, and so close to he very gods themselves as to be like them, that they forgave the spirits of the woods for stealing young Ellÿssa.

And she also was glad to know that her old village was happy. And in her happiness, she said to them, _'Then meet my mentor, Filüÿa, Guardian of these woods!'_

She called to him, and he flew to her. But her old village, seeing the scales of darkest black, took him to be a demon, and felled him from the sky with arrows.

He fell with a terrible scream, and she cried out_ 'What have you done? Filüÿa never harmed a soul, he cared for me when naught could I care for myself! You have slain a Guardian, a god in his own right! Curses be upon you, all of you, even down the generations until humankind are no more!'_

And she bid them to leave, tears falling onto the fallen body of her dear friend. The human fled at her words, and did not return.

'_Filüÿa, my apologies are wasted on this body!' _she wailed, and the Forest itself darkened in her grief. _'I never should be unless it is as you are now, for I cannot live even as you die! My friend, I shall open up the very earth as you grave, and sing us to become one of the very trees that you Guarded in your life.'_

Her voice lifted in song, though a song of heartbreak it was, a song filled with deep magic. And the very earth sang with her, shaping itself to her will, as she sang herself and the body of her mentor into a stone tree that still stands in the middle of the Forest of Yükar, and will stand until time itself is no more.


	7. Chapter 6

When I woke up, it was still night time. Ryokü was curled up next to my stomach, radiating heat like a small oven, though it wasn't enough to be uncomfortable. Slowly, I got up, shifting him slightly so he would stay asleep.

Getting off my bed, I went over to the window and opened it, letting the night breeze flow through. Leaning on the windowsill, I heard the sheets rustling as Ryokü got up, and felt him shape-shift into a modified form of me. By modified I mean gender change and a slight color change on the hair—obviously shorter than mine— and skin tone. When he shape-shifts, Ryokü uses magic to make clothes, usually a white or black t-shirt and jeans.

"You sure that's a good idea?" I asked. "What if somebody gets the wrong idea?"

I turned to him to see his reply. In human form, Ryokü has slightly tanned skin and his hair is a deep burgundy color. His facial features are much like mine, just more masculine. His eyes, like in his dragon form, are purple, but now he switched them to green—the same exact eyes I had. It's very unsettling for people who know me to see them on him, and he knows it. When I gave him a look, he switched them back to purple.

"It gets lonely, not having some other dragon, or dragon spirit," he said quietly. "It helps if I'm in the same form as you."

And this is where things got difficult for us. When a mage has a Familiar, that bond is beyond any other, even a lover. While some mages took their Familiars as lovers, too, when the Familiar was in human shape, it was done when they both were older, if mage and/or Familiar hadn't found a mate of their own kind. If they even lived long enough.

With Ryokü and me… we weren't sure about our feelings for each other. I knew that there was a reason he chose me. I had a feeling it had something to do with the story he once told me, about the girl that he practically raised in an ancient forest, and when he was killed she Sung herself into a tree with his body, using song-magic. But I wasn't sure. I knew he was attracted to me… it was just what happened between Familiars and their mage. I was attracted to him in his human form, as well. But we both knew we shouldn't let anything get out of hand.

Sighing, I turned back to the window. A moment later he came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and torso. This I didn't mind, touching was okay as long as it didn't get too far. Resting his chin on my shoulder, he sighed. "Tell me again why we have to wait?"

I knew by wait he meant wait to see about our feelings before "mating", as dragons put it. I wasn't offended by this; I knew dragon culture like the back of my hand. It was custom for them to take a "mate" while young, or as a Familiar, for experience and pleasure. Sometimes for comfort.

I also knew he wouldn't ask unless he was feeling really lonely. It happened to Familiars, sometimes, if they were spirits. Nobody knew why.

"What if something happens because of it?" I asked softly. "Plus the fact that I'm _very_ young, in human years, and I'm living with a bunch of humans. I doubt Cloud or Tifa would approve," I added dryly. "When I'm a bit older. Then we'll see how we feel then. I know you don't like it."

I shivered when his hands began to roam, and I silently cursed, but changed the subject. "We should get some more sleep."

I let him guide me over to the bed, where we both slid under the covers, fully clothed. Sighing, I shifted so I was resting on his chest, with his arms around me. Using a bit of magic, I put a sort of alarm on the door, so my magic would wake me and Ryokü up if somebody touched the outside doorknob.

He went to sleep within twenty minutes. I couldn't. I stayed up for nearly another hour, unable to either think clearly or go to sleep. Sighing, I turned towards Ryokü and buried my face in his t-shirt covered chest. Still asleep, his arms tightened around me. I allowed myself a small smile. Yes, I still didn't know what my feelings for him were… but I did care for him. And being in his arms felt wonderful—my last safe haven.

The next morning I jerked awake as my magic alarm went off, and quickly hopped out from under the covers and next to my closet. Ryokü was not far behind, except he went for the desk, switching back to his dragon form.

Somebody knocked on the door. "Cian?" It was Denzel.

"Hey, you're back! Come in!" I started for the door, but he had already opened it. With a smile, he ran over. I held out my arms for a hug, ruffling his hair as I did. His smile faded when he realized that my skin was exposed—and so were my scars. I sighed. "I know there are a lot of them… but they don't look _that_ bad, do they?"

"Yeah… they do…" he murmured, taking my arm and running his hands along one of the scars, the longest on my forearm. He scowled. "What bastard would do this?"

"Language," I warned gently. "And some Hojo and Scarlet. Apparently Cloud and Tifa and everybody know them."

He nodded, face pale. "From what I've heard, Hojo and Scarlet were once scientists that did illegal experiments with mako. I think almost everyone was experimented on in some way."

I held back a gasp of horror, then began to shake as anger filled me. Only Ryokü's warning growl brought me to my senses. At the sound, Denzel turned to him, a shocked look on his face.

"What the—!"

"Oh. Denzel, this is Ryokü, my Familiar," I said, motioning to him. He flew over to land on my shoulder, the size of a small parrot.

"Pleased to meet you," Ryokü bowed slightly. I held back a quiet laugh at Denzel's slightly dumbstruck expression.

"Your Familiar… that means you're a mage!"

"Mm… yes," I nodded. "How did you know that people with Familiars are mages?" I was curious as to how he would know that. Not even Sephiroth had made the connection last night, and he didn't seem like one to miss things like that.

"I did a project on them," he replied. "A year ago. It was really hard to find anything. Everything said that your kind died out, though!"

"Mostly they did," I told him as I went back to my closet and pulled out a fresh school uniform, long-sleeved undershirt, and leggings. "There are still a few of us left, but we are going to die out soon. Probably within two or three generations." While it was harsh, it was the truth. Mages wouldn't be around much longer.

"But aren't you going to… well…" Turning to him, I giggled as I realized what he had been about to say.

"Have kids? Probably. But I don't know if they will, or if they'll find someone to accept them for what they are. Others face that problem now. And besides… any kids I have will probably be Halflings, and unable to use most magic." I didn't add that that wouldn't be the case if Ryokü and I became mates. Then we'd have extremely powerful shape-shifters.

He blinked, obviously still a bit shell-shocked. After a moment he nodded slowly. "Okay… I'm going to go downstairs and eat… you're coming to school today, right?" At my questioning look, he added, "Cloud said that you had a long night."

"Yeah, of course. I'm not missing school for something as little as missing a few hours of sleep!"

He laughed, and headed out, leaving me to get ready. I grabbed my clothes and turned to Ryokü. 'You coming?"

"To what?" he asked, looking up from scratching a few scales.

"Shower," I replied. It wasn't a big deal when he was in dragon form. I usually helped wash him, getting the scales he couldn't reach, when we had time.

"Yep," he flew back over to me, landing on the pile of clothes in my arms. "I love showers."

_You mean you love seeing me naked,_ I retorted silently, rolling my eyes, even though I hadn't thought it through our mental bond so he couldn't hear me. But really, he did love the water, especially because it was warm, and he got to fly through the 'raining' water. He always liked that.

Opening my door, I came face to face with Tifa. "Morning," I said.

"Good morning," she replied with a smile. "Denzel said you were planning on going to school today."

"Yeah. I can't be missing school. I have a record for not missing one day so far, and I don't plan on messing that up now. I've got a bet going on that!"

"If you're sure you aren't too tired," she shrugged. Then she noticed Ryokü curled up on my clothes, and gave me a questioning look.

"Because he has a real form, I have to take care of it. That means wash and scale-care, and it's easiest to do when I'm already in the shower," I explained, hoping against hope that she'd just let it go as I slid around her and headed for the bathroom.

"…" she opened her mouth to say something, most likely to object, but I was already closing the bathroom door with a large grin plastered onto my face.

Setting my clothes and Ryokü on the counter, I undressed after turning the water on hot. Picking him up and setting him in the crook of my arm, I stepped in, sighing as the hot water pounded my muscles, relaxing them. Ryokü made a face as water got up his nose, and I set him on one of the shelves on the wall, where the water could reach him but he could lift his head above it if he needed to.

Quickly washing my hair, as it rinsed I used some conditioner for Ryokü's scales; it works best to keep his scales in good condition. He's particularly vain about his scales, ever since he got a real form by becoming my Familiar. I don't complain about it, because I know that for some reason, he's always sad. I think, like some other things, it has something to do with the story about the dragon Guardian of the forest.

Shaking the thoughts from my head, I finished showering and turned to him, picking him up and holding him to my shoulder, pressing my fingers down slightly on the little ridges that would be his spines were he in his full form. He always liked that, and now was no different.

He practically melted onto my shoulder. I nearly had to peel him off when it was time to turn off the water and step out to dry off. He was purring as I towel-dried him, then plugged in the hair dryer and aimed it at him as I dried myself off and dressed, setting him on my shoulder as I blow-dried my hair and brushed it out.

Adjusting my clothes as I opened the door, I came face to face with Tifa, who had on a stern expression.

"Um… hi?"

"We are going to need to talk about you taking him in the shower with you," she said, raising her hand to poke me on the nose. "Cloud and I have slight issues with that."

"I know. I don't expect you to understand, exactly, how our bond works, so I know some things might seem weird or wrong," I replied.

"Yes they do," Tifa muttered. "After school, you two, Cloud, and I will talk about this. Figure out some _other_ way to do whatever you two need to do together." She sighed, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she pinched the bridge of her nose. I blinked. Was my bond with Ryokü really that stressful to humans?

As I looked at Tifa, seeing how she seemed to be looking at something else entirely, I didn't think that was the case. There was something else bothering her. I decided to ask her about it when I got back from school.

Heading downstairs, I grabbed my bag, put Ryokü in my shirt pocket, and followed Denzel out the door just in time to catch the bus. Waving to those who were awake I again sat next to Riku.

"Morning," I greeted him quietly.

"Morning," he replied, flicking his silver hair out of his eyes. "I heard some teachers made a big fuss about something yesterday. Any idea what it was?"

"Yeah… I fell asleep in the garden behind the cafeteria in my free period and I left my sleeves up," I said softly. "Somebody noticed my scars and flipped out."

"Scars?"

Pulling up the sleeve on my left arm, for some reason not feeling self-conscious about them, I turned my forearm towards him. In my mind, I felt Ryokü's bitterness at the memory of how I got them. Riku tentatively reached over and ran his forefinger down one of them. He looked up at me, eyes widening slightly.

I shrugged. "Old scars, but they still look really bad." I pulled my sleeve down, glancing up at him. "At least I'm away from the people who did it."

"Who would do such a thing…?" he asked quietly.

"Apparently, everyone else already knows them, but… Hojo and Scarlet," I replied. He stiffened, and I knew then that those were common names around here—the bad kind.

Without a word, he kicked the seat in front of us. Sora and Roxas both jumped, and turned to face us, rubbing sleep from their eyes. While they were waking up, he called to the others to get everyone up.

"We have a situation," he spoke barely loud enough for all of them to hear—quiet enough for the bus driver not to. "Cian, sorry, but I'll explain in a minute." He grabbed my arm, raised it, and pulled the sleeve all the way up to my shoulder. Immediately the others were awake and alert. "Hojo and Scarlet did it. Cloud called yesterday, saying we may have a chance to lock them up. With that evidence, it's almost inevitable. I'll need you guys to get all the evidence from previous cases you can. Got it?"

"Got it!" came the slightly louder-than-nessescary reply from all of them. Turning to me, Riku said, "We're all a part of a special force. Cloud and Tifa and the others are part of the previous generation of that force. They're teaching us how to use weapons and such, and some of us have enough connections that we set up a sort of intelligence group. The reason we're in this force," he continued. "Is because Hojo experimented on each of us, and Scarlet harmed many of us."

"I guess since you're telling me this," I said, and raised my voice I continued. "I can tell you that I'm a mage." Silence fell for a moment, and I twisted in my seat. "Surprised?"

"What level?" Namine asked.

I blinked, surprised she knew about the ranking of mages. There were four levels; Ehlùs—the lowest level, where mages could perform basic spells. Niël—the second level, where mages could perform basic and some combined spells (two spells put together for a more powerful/varying effect). Hÿdris—the third level, where mages could perform combined and some ancient spells. Finally, there was my level, Fyülrys—where mages could perform ancient and god-spells.

"Fyülrys," I replied. "I have a dragon god spirit as my Familiar. Ryokü?"

He climbed out of my pocket and up onto my head. "I would use my bigger form to introduce myself, but then the bus driver might see me. It's easiest to use partial invisibility spells when you're smaller," he informed them.

"Cool," Sora said. "So… wanna be part of our team?"

"Do I," I replied with a grin. "Ryokü! You in?"

"Of course! Anyone who messes with you," he growled. "Messes with me."

"Good to know," Riku nodded. "Now everyone out! We're here."


End file.
